Re: Lendl vs other greats....(head to heads)

> "ImHuge" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
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> "Steve Jaros" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
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> > > Lendl was around in an era where groundstroke power took a backseat to
> > > consistency and trajectory. Certainly he was the hardest-hitting
overall
> > > baseliner of the time but this is a long way from saying he
overpowered
> >  his
> > > opponents.
> >
> > Actually, it's exactly the same thing.
>
> At this point, I think we are splitting hairs with Lloyd.

Yes.

>You and I
> see it as overpowering tennis that Lendl played from the baseline, he
> wants further definition.  Fine.  I never said Lendl just blew holes
> through people to win, and that is not what I meant.

Neither did i. No one with a brain would suggest that, since it's not
possible. Effective baseline play is always a combination of power +
consistently good placement. When i said that Lendl "overpowered" other
players, i meant that he hit harder than anyone else while also achieving a
very high level of consistently good placement on his shots. But there were
other guys who achieved great placement on their baseline shots, but Lendl
was tops in power. So "overpower" is a good word to describe it.

If the term 'overpower' is to mean anything when it comes to baseline play
(and surely it does since the term has always been used) it must not merely
mean huge hitting, but combined with consistent placement as well. There was
no need for Lloyd to emphasize the latter factors, since they are a given in
the formulation.